940

May the Lord, Mighty God

Full Text

1 May the Lord, mighty God,
bless and keep you forever;
grant you peace, perfect peace,
courage in every endeavor.

2 Lift up your eyes and see God's face,
full of grace forever;
may the Lord, mighty God,
bless and keep you forever.

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Scripture References

Confessions and Statements of Faith References

Further Reflections on Confessions and Statements of Faith References

To leave the security of worship and enter the world for service requires firm confidence in the faithful promises of God to be with us, to care for us and bless us. Our deepest assurance comes from the comfort we have that “I am not my own, but belong—body and soul, in life and in death—to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ” (Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Day 1, Question and Answer 1). Because I belong to him, “he will provide whatever I need for body and soul, and will turn to my good whatever adversity he sends upon me in this sad world. God is able to do this because he is almighty God and desires to do this because he is a faithful Father” (Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Day 9, Question and Answer 26). We have the assurance that “our Lord speaks to us now through the inspired Scriptures. Christ is with us day by day” (Our Song of Hope, Stanza 1). How rich it is to carry such assurance of his blessing with us as we leave the service of worship!

940

May the Lord, Mighty God

Additional Prayers

A Prayer of Acclamation
 
Mighty God, so much of your greatness is in your goodness.
Your face is full of grace.
So much of your goodness is in your mercy to sinners.
Your face is full of grace.
So much of your mercy to sinners is in your forgiveness.
Your face is full of grace forever. Amen.
— Cornelius Plantinga, Jr.
940

May the Lord, Mighty God

Tune Information

Name
WEI YUAN SHEN
Key
c minor or modal

Recordings

Musical Suggestion

Whatever our age, we do well to have on our lips a benediction for one another in the Lord. One based on Numbers 6:24-26 is “May the Lord, Mighty God” (Sing! A New Creation, 285). Its pentatonic melody has a wide range and may, at first hearing, feel a bit unstable, ending as it does on the fifth degree of the scale rather than the expected first degree. My upstate New York congregation caught on to the melody after about the third try. That notwithstanding, it is a lovely tune which, once learned, will echo in the mind’s ear. When that has happened for the majority of the congregation, like any pentatonic melody, it may be sung like a round, with different voices entering at different times. Try a measure apart a cappella. Alternatively, use the descant provided for the second stanza, sung by the choir or a soloist. Its range will also fit an older child’s voice, so include your younger singers in the pool of performers.
(from Reformed Worship, Issue 76)
— Kathleen Hart Brumm
940

May the Lord, Mighty God

Hymn Story/Background

In 1979 I-to loh matched this text (then popularly but illegally sung to the tune of “Edelweiss”) to the haunting folksy melody WEN-TI (literally, “listening to the flute”). The melody and descant were composed or arranged by Pao-chen Li, a Chinese American who taught Chinese in a military academy in the United States; he was also a composer and choral conductor. The music was originally set in a very heavy chordal harmony. In order to maintain the simplicity of the tune, I-to Loh retained only the melody and descant. This song has been included in many North American hymnals since it was first published by I-to Loh in Hymns from the Four Winds (Abingdon, 1983). 
— Sing! A New Creation
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